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WNBA Draft Set for Monday in New York With Unsettled No. 1 Pick

A new labor deal reorders free agency around the draft to change how teams build rosters.

Overview

  • The draft, which starts Monday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, will take place at The Shed at Hudson Yards in New York City.
  • Dallas holds the first pick, followed by the Lynx, Storm, Mystics and Sky, with expansion teams Toronto and Portland selecting sixth and seventh.
  • The league confirmed 15 in-person prospects, headlined by Azzi Fudd, Olivia Miles, Awa Fam Thiam and Lauren Betts, as Dallas weighs fit with 2025 top pick Paige Bueckers.
  • Under the new CBA, teams get two developmental roster spots for players with up to three years of service who can play in no more than 12 games unless re-signed, which could boost the appeal of later picks.
  • Expansion reshapes the board as the first round grows to 15 selections, with Toronto holding picks 6, 22 and 36 and Portland owning No. 7 and 37 after trading No. 21 to Chicago.